1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to the environment; modifying environmental 
  1.3             review for animal feedlots; amending Minnesota 
  1.4             Statutes 2002, section 116D.04, subdivisions 2a, 10, 
  1.5             11, 13. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 116D.04, 
  1.8   subdivision 2a, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 2a.  Where there is potential for significant 
  1.10  environmental effects resulting from any major governmental 
  1.11  action, the action shall be preceded by a detailed environmental 
  1.12  impact statement prepared by the responsible governmental unit.  
  1.13  The environmental impact statement shall be an analytical rather 
  1.14  than an encyclopedic document which describes the proposed 
  1.15  action in detail, analyzes its significant environmental 
  1.16  impacts, discusses appropriate alternatives to the proposed 
  1.17  action and their impacts, and explores methods by which adverse 
  1.18  environmental impacts of an action could be mitigated.  The 
  1.19  environmental impact statement shall also analyze those 
  1.20  economic, employment and sociological effects that cannot be 
  1.21  avoided should the action be implemented.  To ensure its use in 
  1.22  the decision making process, the environmental impact statement 
  1.23  shall be prepared as early as practical in the formulation of an 
  1.24  action.  
  1.25     (a) The board shall by rule establish categories of actions 
  2.1   for which environmental impact statements and for which 
  2.2   environmental assessment worksheets shall be prepared as well as 
  2.3   categories of actions for which no environmental review is 
  2.4   required under this section.  
  2.5      (b) The responsible governmental unit shall promptly 
  2.6   publish notice of the completion of an environmental assessment 
  2.7   worksheet in a manner to be determined by the board and shall 
  2.8   provide copies of the environmental assessment worksheet to the 
  2.9   board and its member agencies.  Comments on the need for an 
  2.10  environmental impact statement may be submitted to the 
  2.11  responsible governmental unit during a 30 day period following 
  2.12  publication of the notice that an environmental assessment 
  2.13  worksheet has been completed.  The responsible governmental 
  2.14  unit's decision on the need for an environmental impact 
  2.15  statement shall be based on the environmental assessment 
  2.16  worksheet and the comments received during the comment period, 
  2.17  and shall be made within 15 days after the close of the comment 
  2.18  period.  The board's chair may extend the 15 day period by not 
  2.19  more than 15 additional days upon the request of the responsible 
  2.20  governmental unit.  
  2.21     (c) An environmental assessment worksheet shall also be 
  2.22  prepared for a proposed action whenever material evidence 
  2.23  accompanying a petition by not less than 25 individuals, 
  2.24  submitted before the proposed project has received final 
  2.25  approval by the appropriate governmental units, demonstrates 
  2.26  that, because of the nature or location of a proposed action, 
  2.27  there may be potential for significant environmental effects.  
  2.28  Petitions requesting the preparation of an environmental 
  2.29  assessment worksheet shall be submitted to the board.  The chair 
  2.30  of the board shall determine the appropriate responsible 
  2.31  governmental unit and forward the petition to it.  A decision on 
  2.32  the need for an environmental assessment worksheet shall be made 
  2.33  by the responsible governmental unit within 15 days after the 
  2.34  petition is received by the responsible governmental unit.  The 
  2.35  board's chair may extend the 15 day period by not more than 15 
  2.36  additional days upon request of the responsible governmental 
  3.1   unit.  No petitions for an environmental assessment worksheet 
  3.2   may be accepted for any animal feedlot facility of less than 
  3.3   1,000 animal units, as long as the facility is in compliance 
  3.4   with environmental standards under Minnesota Rules, chapter 
  3.5   7020, when the permit is applied for.  
  3.6      In addition to the exemptions from environmental review 
  3.7   contained in Minnesota Rules, part 4410.4600, subpart 19, an 
  3.8   animal feedlot facility of less than 1,000 animal units is 
  3.9   exempt from Minnesota Rules, parts 4410.0200 to 4410.6500, as 
  3.10  long as the facility is in compliance with environmental 
  3.11  standards under Minnesota Rules, chapter 7020, when the permit 
  3.12  is applied for. 
  3.13     (d) The board may, prior to final approval of a proposed 
  3.14  project, require preparation of an environmental assessment 
  3.15  worksheet by a responsible governmental unit selected by the 
  3.16  board for any action where environmental review under this 
  3.17  section has not been specifically provided for by rule or 
  3.18  otherwise initiated.  
  3.19     (e) An early and open process shall be utilized to limit 
  3.20  the scope of the environmental impact statement to a discussion 
  3.21  of those impacts, which, because of the nature or location of 
  3.22  the project, have the potential for significant environmental 
  3.23  effects.  The same process shall be utilized to determine the 
  3.24  form, content and level of detail of the statement as well as 
  3.25  the alternatives which are appropriate for consideration in the 
  3.26  statement.  In addition, the permits which will be required for 
  3.27  the proposed action shall be identified during the scoping 
  3.28  process.  Further, the process shall identify those permits for 
  3.29  which information will be developed concurrently with the 
  3.30  environmental impact statement.  The board shall provide in its 
  3.31  rules for the expeditious completion of the scoping process.  
  3.32  The determinations reached in the process shall be incorporated 
  3.33  into the order requiring the preparation of an environmental 
  3.34  impact statement.  
  3.35     (f) Whenever practical, information needed by a 
  3.36  governmental unit for making final decisions on permits or other 
  4.1   actions required for a proposed project shall be developed in 
  4.2   conjunction with the preparation of an environmental impact 
  4.3   statement.  
  4.4      (g) An environmental impact statement shall be prepared and 
  4.5   its adequacy determined within 280 days after notice of its 
  4.6   preparation unless the time is extended by consent of the 
  4.7   parties or by the governor for good cause.  The responsible 
  4.8   governmental unit shall determine the adequacy of an 
  4.9   environmental impact statement, unless within 60 days after 
  4.10  notice is published that an environmental impact statement will 
  4.11  be prepared, the board chooses to determine the adequacy of an 
  4.12  environmental impact statement.  If an environmental impact 
  4.13  statement is found to be inadequate, the responsible 
  4.14  governmental unit shall have 60 days to prepare an adequate 
  4.15  environmental impact statement.  
  4.16     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 116D.04, 
  4.17  subdivision 10, is amended to read: 
  4.18     Subd. 10.  Decisions on the need for an environmental 
  4.19  assessment worksheet, the need for an environmental impact 
  4.20  statement and the adequacy of an environmental impact statement 
  4.21  may be reviewed by a declaratory judgment action in the ~~district~~ 
  4.22  court of ~~the county wherein the proposed action, or any part~~ 
  4.23  ~~thereof, would be undertaken~~ appeals brought by any person 
  4.24  aggrieved by the decision.  Judicial review under this section 
  4.25  shall be initiated within 30 days after the governmental unit 
  4.26  makes the decision, and a bond may be required under section 
  4.27  562.02 unless at the time of hearing on the application for the 
  4.28  bond the plaintiff has shown that the claim has sufficient 
  4.29  possibility of success on the merits to sustain the burden 
  4.30  required for the issuance of a temporary restraining order.  
  4.31  Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter the 
  4.32  requirements for a temporary restraining order or a preliminary 
  4.33  injunction pursuant to the Minnesota rules of civil procedure 
  4.34  for district courts.  The board may initiate judicial review of 
  4.35  decisions referred to herein and may intervene as of right in 
  4.36  any proceeding brought under this subdivision.  
  5.1      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 116D.04, 
  5.2   subdivision 11, is amended to read: 
  5.3      Subd. 11.  If the board or governmental unit which is 
  5.4   required to act within a time period specified in this section 
  5.5   fails to so act, any person may seek ~~an order of the district~~ 
  5.6   ~~court~~ relief through the court of appeals requiring the board or 
  5.7   governmental unit to immediately take the action mandated by 
  5.8   subdivisions 2a and 3a.  The court of appeals shall make a 
  5.9   decision based on the information and record supplied by the 
  5.10  responsible government unit. 
  5.11     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 116D.04, 
  5.12  subdivision 13, is amended to read: 
  5.13     Subd. 13.  This section may be enforced by ~~injunction,~~ 
  5.14  ~~action to compel performance, or other~~ appropriate action in the 
  5.15  ~~district court of the county where the violation takes~~ 
  5.16  ~~place~~ court of appeals.  The court of appeals shall have full 
  5.17  jurisdiction to hear and determine the matter appealed.  The 
  5.18  proceeding may be governed by the rules of civil appellate 
  5.19  procedure.  Upon the request of the board or the chair of the 
  5.20  board, the attorney general may bring an action under this 
  5.21  subdivision.